The Literary Side

It's late. My eyes HURT. My brain has done enough math to put a colony on Pluto (still a planet as far as I'm concerned). I'm tired and want to break something.

And then I start looking over some creatures that would occupy a stretch of open countryside during an adventure. Then I remember...I remember why I love this. The ideas that start popping when you read the elements of gaming.

I realized that it is the literary side that has always kept me in rpgs. I love reading the material, seeing in the minds eye how players would fall back from the table with an 'OH ****'!

The look when you begin to describe something that looks like a massive ash forest and then they realize as they grow closer that it's not trees towering over their heads at all, but bone. Miles and miles of bones sticking hundreds of feet into the sky. That maybe they aren't the baddest thing in the valley. What kills something that big? The feeling is palpable...

It's late and I know why I do this.

Update

Hi all. Just a brief update. I have been buried in rules hell trying to put together something that will work for this campaign setting and I waffled more than a short order cook.

I thought hey, no problem, then realized that the very thing that imparts the unique flavor to this thing and make it worth playing is a major reworking of any rule set.

So I think I finally have the spine worked out, now to attach the rest of the skeleton and see if it will hold flesh.

This is subject to change, but I'm looking at putting out a starter set that includes everything needed to play a basic set up and learn the world I'm creating without having to bite off the whole chunk at once. Then I can issue the Advanced Player Guide and the Game Master Strategy Guide. These will increase the classes and pave the way for the entire series.

I'm hoping for a first draft this week then a break to look at the introductory adventure and play material to include.

Stay tuned. More to come.

Pre-Draft Design Update

Just a brief update. Have been in a pre-draft stage, chatting with other designers and gamers alike about layout and trying new things to see if I can make this the best vessel yet.

I am lucky to find that many people seem to like the same layout ideas as myself. Clean, clear fonts, low artwork overkill, larger font sizes or the ability to increase the font size (which shouldn't be a problem as I'm printing to PDF and keeping the design so that the 'reflow' feature in reader will work properly and not make a mess of the layout).

Above all the layout must be transparent. You only seem to notice it when it is bad :)

New Promotional Art

Just a quick piece to test out the software and shake off the rust. Now back to the editing. :)

First Update

Hi all. Just a quick note for those curious about the blog. I started the FORSAKEN SOULS campaign setting a decade ago and it has languished unfinished until now.

I was inspired by the various OSR rules lite systems, First Edition and the recent slate of SRD sets along with my own house rules and variations added to create a custom engine that is both rules-light and grognard friendly while not abandoning the core mechanic or basic concepts of play known to most current players.

This will be a commercial project and I will use this blog to announce releases of the campaign source books and for errata, updates and free web enhancements for the setting.

Not only will the books cover a campaign story of epic proportions but will also provide source material for role-playing within the world of FORSAKEN SOULS in general and creating your own adventures as well.

I look forward to bringing this labor of love to gamers everywhere and hope that it provides you as much entertainment and thrills in play as it has me in its creation.

I will be posting a non-spoiler general description soon so check back often or sign up for the feed.